Life expectancy is rising, fewer people are dropping out of education, employment levels are increasing, and visits to museums and libraries are recovering. Renewable energy is on the rise and landfill waste is falling. The Istat report on well-being also paints a picture of a country that is making progress

Last year, there were 355,772 births in Italy, 3.8 per cent fewer than in 2024. The fertility rate has fallen further (1.14) and the average age at childbirth has risen to 32.7 years, whilst the number of children born to foreign couples has fallen by 38.7 per cent compared with 2012. And the estimates for the first few months of 2026 do not bode well

An Istat indicator suggests that the number of people living in poverty has risen over the past ten years. Another indicator, also from Istat but at European level, suggests that it has fallen. The political consequences of a statistical problem 

Michele Santoro’s misrepresentation of Istat figures and the broader issue of Italian talk shows, where the value of a contribution depends primarily on whether it is for or against the government, rather than on any real knowledge of the subject

 According to data compiled by Istat, last year 18.1 per cent of households (around 4.8 million) were renting and paid an average of 438 euros a month, 3.6 per cent more than in 2024

Who (isn’t) coming to dinner. Over the past thirty years, Italians have been seeing their friends less often, are living alone more frequently and are turning their free time into time spent on their own. Friendship hasn’t disappeared: it has simply become harder to find the time and the desire to spend time together

In September, inflation rose from 3.3 to 4.2 per cent. Food, household and personal care goods rose from 0.9 to 1.7 per cent, whilst energy and fuel prices also rose